The old PM career playbook doesn’t work in the AI era. In this episode of The Skip, we lay out a new career framework for product managers, and it’s a lot more “choose your door” than “climb the ladder.” If you’re wondering whether to stay in big tech, jump to an AI startup, double down as a builder, or rethink your whole path, this one’s for you. We talk about why your hard-won product intuition is quietly becoming obsolete, why some ex-VPs are happily taking senior IC roles, and how to prepare for what’s coming next.

Key topics

• Why your product intuition is outdated — and how to “go back to school” without quitting your job

• Why company quality now matters more than your title, comp band, or level

• What elite AI companies are actually looking for in PMs

• The builder vs factory mindset: are you obsessed with the product, or with the machine that ships it?

• How to choose between Big Tech, hot AI startups, healthy growth companies, or founding

• A three-part reality check on constraints: compensation, location, and pace

• The truth about 9–9–6 and AI startups: when extreme pace is worth it, and when it’s just branding

• Why “coasting” in big tech is mostly a myth

• Remote vs hub tradeoffs: what you gain and lose by moving to SF or NYC

• Why this is Part 1 — and what we’ll go deeper on next in the PM Career Framework for AI series

Where to find Nikhyl:

• Twitter/X

• LinkedIn

Where to find Carly:

• LinkedIn

• She Leads Podcast

• Twitter/X

Join The Skip:

• Skip Coach

• Skip Community

Find The Skip:

• Website

• Substack

• YouTube

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

Timestamps

(00:53) Why the PM career framework needs to be rewritten for AI

(03:35) Why ex-VPs are happily taking senior IC roles

(06:07) Why your current product intuition is becoming obsolete

(11:46) Why AI-first companies only want hands-on PMs

(14:40) How to choose between Big Tech, AI startups, growth companies, or founding

(18:06) How to actually upgrade your product intuition on the job

(25:13) What’s really happening with PM compensation in 2025

(33:46) Why true AI startups are rarely remote-first

(42:42) What 9–9–6 culture at AI companies actually looks like

(50:52) The myth of work–life balance in growth environments

(55:40) The builder vs factory mindset

(60:29) Are you obsessed with the product or the factory that ships it?

(67:11) The key takeaway for PMs making career moves in 2025

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